Daewoo At The Motor Show 2002

Daewoo Kalos Revealed– A Stylish New Five Door Hatchback

GM Daewoo UK is the new import and distribution company for
Daewoo cars in the UK and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GM
Daewoo Auto and Technology, the new global Daewoo cars organisation
headquartered in Korea. It is the newest member of the General
Motors family, the world’s biggest car maker. In line
with the new Block Exemption regulations, GM Daewoo UK will
supply vehicles and service back-up through a network of Distributors
and Authorised Repairers.

The UK company will initially supply three model lines, the award winning mini-MPV Matiz; Kalos, a brand new five-door hatchback making its UK debut at the Motor Show and the stylish and practical family MPV, Tacuma. A new Customer Care Centre has also been set up to deal with all customer enquiries.

Retail Network

GM Daewoo UK Ltd is the sole import, distribution and sales organisation for Daewoo cars in the United Kingdom. In line with the new Block Exemption regulations, the company will supply its product range and service back-up through a network of Distributors, supplemented by Authorised Repairers, spread geographically across the UK.

Initially, 30 Distributors will be operational, supported by 51 AA Service Centres. All sites will carry out warranty work. An additional 15 potential Distributors are already under review by the company for planned appointment during November/December, with more in the pipeline. GM Daewoo has a target total of 100 outlets by year end.

Three-Year Customer Care Package

Daewoo has a record of excellence for customer care, providing a no-hassle experience throughout the ownership cycle. The new company will continue to develop this service and maintain a leading position for customer service in the UK.

Daewoo has also established a leading position in the UK with its innovative three-year customer care package and recently came top of the J.D. Power UK Car Customer Satisfaction Survey "Cost Of Service/Repair" category. The customer care package included free servicing for three years, warranty cover for three years and AA roadside recovery for three years. GM Daewoo will honour these agreements with existing customers and will include the three-year package for new purchasers.

Brand New Customer Assistance Centre

With the launch of GM Daewoo UK comes an all-new Customer Assistance Centre. By calling 0800 060606, existing customers and new prospects will be able to receive a host of information including product details and the location of their nearest Distributor or Authorised Repairer. Customers who have been uncertain of their position on free service and warranty during the transition to the new company should call the Customer Assistance Centre for advice.

New Kalos Debut – Joins Matiz And Tacuma In The UK Line-Up

Making its debut at the Motor Show is Daewoo’s stylish new family hatchback, Kalos. With its strong, unmistakable design by Giugiaro in Turin, the new Daewoo Kalos is impressive and eye-catching. Compact and with five doors, it not only has striking exterior contours but also an extremely spacious interior resulting from the use of careful packaging design. Its chassis offers agility and comfort on the road and body construction offers excellent safety features. And like all Daewoo products, the new Kalos will offer outstanding value for money.

The front-wheel drive Kalos is powered by a 1.4 litre, 83 hp four-cylinder petrol engine. Two derivatives will be available in showrooms late in 2002 – SE and SX. Both feature a comprehensive range of safety and comfort features as standard. For example, the SE has power assisted steering, anti-lock brakes, central door locking with alarm system, driver and passenger front and side airbags, electrically operated front windows, tachometer, dipping rear view mirror, three-point safety belts on all seats and Isofix anchorage points for a child seat in the back.

In addition, the Kalos SX features air conditioning, front fog lamps, electrically operated rear windows, height-adjustable driver’s seat, a sporty rear roof spoiler and a handy picnic table that folds out from the back of the passenger’s seat. Prices will be announced on Press Day of the Motor Show.

Matiz – Award Winning Mini-MPV With Style

The Daewoo Matiz has helped to rewrite the rulebook for city-cars since its introduction in 1998. It introduced a new concept to the sector – style, a car with optimum space utilisation that wasn’t all straight lines. Like the new Kalos, Matiz was designed by Giugiaro’s team, its cheery persona giving it a classless appeal. It quickly became the choice of the cost-conscious city dweller or young family who typically wanted a small manoeuvrable car or second runabout that offered space, five doors and excellent value for money. Since launch it has won several major awards including Auto Express and BBC Top Gear’s ‘Best Small Car’. In 2001, Auto Express voted Matiz ‘Best Budget Car’. In the recent J.D. Power UK Car Customer Satisfaction Survey, Matiz was rated as the best car in the "Ownership Costs" category. The Daewoo brand as a whole also came top of the survey’s "Cost Of Service/Repair" category.

Matiz is powered by an 800cc engine developing 50bhp, performance is sprightly with an extra urban fuel economy figure of 55.4 miles per gallon. Matiz is priced from £6595 to £7795. A new derivative of Matiz will be announced on Motor Show Press day.

Tacuma – State Of The Art Compact MPV

Tacuma is testament to the speed at which Daewoo can react to market trends. Taking just three years from concept to reality, this compact MPV is a flexible partner combining the practicality of a multi purpose vehicle with the sophistication of an up-market saloon. Legroom and loadspace are class leading and the Tacuma range is bristling with practical features such as a swivelling passenger seat, underfloor and underseat stowage compartments, fold down armrests in the front and three rear seats that can be folded individually or removed completely to maximise the cargo area – up to 1155 litres of loadspace. Tacuma is even available with a DVD player and Sony Playstation option to keep the children happy on long journeys.

Tacuma is powered by 1.6 and 2.0 litre petrol engines. Three models are available, the SE, SX and CDX with the latter having the option of a four speed electronically controlled ZF automatic transmission. It is priced from £10,995 to £12,995.